Pop star Katy Perry and "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King were among Blue Origin's first all-women crew blasting off on a journey 62 miles above Earth's surface to the internationally recognized boundary of space.

Van Horn

Blue Origin has successfully completed its first historic all-female flight to space. The New Shepard spacecraft carried notable figures, including pop star Katy Perry and "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King, on a pioneering journey beyond Earth's atmosphere. The crew experienced weightlessness and viewed the Earth and moon from the internationally recognized boundary of space, 62 miles above the surface.

The launch took place from West Texas, with the spacecraft reaching an apogee of approximately 346,802 feet, while the booster reached 346,481 feet. The entire mission lasted about 10 minutes and 21 seconds, with the crew safely returning to Earth as the capsule descended in the West Texas desert. The event was marked by excitement and relief from all involved, as they shared this transformative experience.

The launch is significant as it was not just an achievement in space exploration but also a personal milestone for those aboard. Some crew members, like Amanda, had long desired to participate in an all-woman crew. This mission is seen as life-changing, allowing the participants to fulfill lifelong dreams and inspire others.



Blue Origin completes historic all-female flight to space

Welcome to CBS News from West Texas. She did it. She did it. She did it, everyone. She did it, folks. Gail went to space. That's right, and you can hear how excited we are. Here is the liftoff from just about half an hour ago, a Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft propelling Gail and an all-woman crew on a 62-mile journey. Once in space, they experienced weightlessness and got a whole new perspective on life down here where we are. Take a listen to this. You can hear Gail reaching, reacting to the moment she experienced weightlessness and seeing Earth and the moon. Look at the moon, you guys. I would have to tell you, look at the moon. I love it. I love Gail so much. It is amazing, right? Because she's so, the childlike wonder that she has, and she's telling everybody, look, look, as if they can't see. The moon, the moon. And we loved hearing her voice. On their way back, you can look how the parachutes opened up and helped them kind of slowly cascade down on that capsule's descent from way up there in space. And here is the moment, and we'll see as the crew landed safely, emphasize on safely, back here in West Texas, in the desert, and we all took a- Big, big sigh of relief. Yes, we did. And here's Gail back on Earth. We already showed you she was kissing the ground in celebration, perhaps a little bit relief, but I think exhilaration. Yeah, for sure. Folks, let me give you some stats here. It was about an 11-minute trip in total, but of course a lot can happen in 11 minutes. So here's some statistics that people may be interested in. The crew capsule reached an apogee, which is the highest point, of 346,802 feet off the ground. The booster reached an apogee of 346,481 feet. The official launch time was at 8.30 a.m., and the capsule landing occurred, and that's at Central Mountain Time, Central Time. The capsule landing occurred at 8.40 a.m., and the mission elapsed time was- That's my favorite part. Total, right? 10 minutes, 21 seconds. 10 minutes and 21 seconds can change your life. That's right. I have no doubt. Look, all of these women told me before- I know exactly where you're going, go ahead. They all said that they knew that this was going to be a moment that was going to change their lives. They all were bringing their hopes and their dreams. Amanda talked about being the child of refugees. Carrie Anne talked about having the sense of wonder of space ever since she was a child. She's always wanted to go into space. Amanda, who the minute that Jeff Bezos went up on that very first Blue Origin launch, came when he came back down and she said, if you let me go to space, I'm doing an all-woman crew. That was her first thing that she wanted to do.

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